Terra Nova: The Badlands
by what the face
Summary: Cut off from the future, Terra Nova will have to survive on it's own. Can Maddy and Mark continue without fighting? Why doesn't anybody care that Skye's gone missing? Most of all, how the hell did Malcolm get a girlfriend? / A guess at Terra Nova, S2.
1. Chapter 1

_There is no paradise without sacrifice._

_The world's population is at a bursting point. Ninety percent of plant and animal life is extinct. Mankind has but one last hope for survival, the likes of which lie 85 million years in the past…_

* * *

><p>Terra Nova, Season 2, Episode 1: Kidnapped<p>

* * *

><p>Sunlight filtered through drawn blinds, dancing gracefully across the face of a young girl of about sixteen or seventeen years of age. Outside, beyond the thin walls of her bedroom, the sounds of her housemates working in the kitchen could be heard, and even further away, the exciting chattering of the early morning crowd in the marketplace. Terra Nova was almost fully restored to its initial state. The buildings had been rebuilt and the people had assumed their everyday responsibilities. Still, there were scars that no one liked to talk about, scars that we inflicted upon the hearts of those who lived in the colony. These scars would remain for a very long time.<p>

The piercing call of a Pterosaur forced Skye Tate's eyelids to snap open as she quickly surveyed the room around her. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps as she pushed her bed sheets off of her tanned limbs and sat upright, raking a hand through her dishevelled golden hair. She blinked a few times as she dropped her hand, allowing the familiar comfort of her bedroom to lull her into a sense of safeness and security. Her eyes rose, following the perfectly aligned wooden slats of her roof, then fell, staring hard at the also wooden flooring. Eventually, she felt her legs stir under her, forcing the rest of her body to get up and get a move on. Her roommates would be expecting her as she didn't often sleep in, although in the past three months sleeping later than necessary had become an almost common occurrence.

She pulled on her clothes and quickly fixed her bed, running a brush through her hair and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Once she was convinced that she looked halfway acceptable, she pushed open the door of her room and walked out to the kitchen. Two of her roommates, Max and Tasha, greeted her with short smiles and a wave of their hands.

"You headed to the Infirmary?" Max asked her politely, a boyish grin on his handsome face. He tossed her one of the strange fruits that the citizens of Terra Nova had become accustomed to. She caught it as she shook her head.

"Today's my day off," she told him with a forced smile. "So no, I will not be removing any parasites from anyone's stomach."

Both of her friends laughed. "Speaking of Hunter," she continued, her fingers curling around the spiked fruit, "Where is he?"

Tasha spoke up this time. "He's gone to apply for a job with Security."

A silence fell over the three of them as they considered the losses that Terra Nova had faced after Lucas Taylor had successfully wired the portal to work both ways, allowing the lethal Phoenix Group to walk straight into their beloved home and take everything that their greedy souls desired. Skye's stomach sank as she watched her friends avoid eye contact with her. Although her motives had been understood by almost everyone that knew about her allegiance to the Sixers, she knew that there was still an underlying tenseness between the four housemates. In a way, it really was her fault. She knew this well – her dreams proved it so. Every night, over and over again, she would see the shock and betrayal in Lucas' face as her bullet penetrated his chest, she would feel the bile that rose in her throat as his body hit the rainforest floor with a dull, dead _thump, _and she would hear her fearful intake of breath as she looked back and saw that he had vanished once more.

In their wake, the Phoenix soldiers had left destruction, death and carnage. Of the twenty-six dead, Taylor had lost ten of his men and women. For the past three months Terra Nova had been able to function with what Security they had, but everyone knew that, eventually, new drafts would need to be taken. That time had come. Commander Taylor had delivered a speech directed at young men and women of the colony, asking them to consider a career where they would spend their days protecting the colony. The idea had appealed to many of the young citizens, kids who sought out adventure and excitement. Skye had to admit that the idea would have appealed to her not long ago – before she had betrayed the colony to the Sixers. Plus, it wasn't as if she was exactly _allowed _to go for such a job. It was only recently that she had been allowed back into the Infirmary. Commander Taylor, though sympathetic for her, would not allow her near a firearm for the next few years, she'd decided.

"Oh," Skye muttered, realising that she'd waited far too long to reply. She was conflicted. Images of Lucas Taylor and the confrontation they'd had when he'd stabbed his own father in the back kept flashing through her mind. These images haunted her daily, left her questioning whether or not he was still alive. He'd escaped, sure, but that didn't mean that he had survived his injury. There were still many things to consider, Skye told herself, such as internal and external bleeding, and even infection if he had happened to get past_ those_ dangers. Still, there was a little voice in the back of her mind that told her not to expect the best from this situation. Lucas had survived five years on his own, out in the wilderness – he had even fought off a Slasher, though the dinosaur had left its mark on his skin in the form of poorly healed, parallel scars.

Noticing the far-away look in her eye, Max and Tasha shared a mutual look of concern. "Uh… Skye, you okay?" Max asked.

Skye was quick to paste another false smile on her face. "What?" She laughed nervously, brushing their concerns away with a wave of her hand. She didn't look them in the eye as she started to retreat from the kitchen, her eyes instead focused on her breakfast in her hand. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine. I... I'll see you guys later."

She turned on her heel and walked toward the front door, not glancing back at her concerned friends as she did so.

The morning sunshine welcomed her as she slammed the front door shut behind her. She pushed her hands into the pockets of her jean shorts and made her way down the street, dodging anyone who looked like they wanted to start a conversation with her. She would go to her grave denying that there was something seriously wrong with her. All she could think about was her betrayal of the colony. She knew that she had done it to her help her mother – who was now recovering steadily, thanks to Malcolm and Dr. Shannon – but that didn't change the fact that the invasion of the Phoenix soldiers could very well be her fault. If only she hadn't helped Lucas.

"Skye!"

Ignoring the sound of _his _voice, she pretended as if she hadn't heard him and kept on walking, pushing her feet harder against the ground to propel her body forward with more momentum. She kept her head down and her ears peeled as his footsteps came closer. Josh Shannon was as persistent as his father, though he'd hated to admit that when they'd first met. Things had changed, though, she noted, during the last few months or so. Josh now looked up to the man – at least for now.

She felt his hand grasp her shoulder. Stopping quickly, turning and faking surprise at his intervention, she smiled up at one of her closest friends.

"Oh, hey," she greeted him gently. It was true that she had been trying to avoid him only moments before, but this wasn't because it was _Josh. _She just really didn't feel like talking to _anyone_ right now. In fact, she'd been hoping to maybe catch a minute to herself in The Eye. Maybe she would look up some history, marvel in a world that could have been. Anything would be better than the awkward concern that most of her peers treated her with now. "How're you holding up?"

Josh shrugged. He held an indifferent look on his face – hiding his emotions, as per usual. She watched him wearily as he replied, "Not great. But I'm sure that was to be expected."

"Yeah," she agreed, dragging the word out. She took a deep breath. Josh _seemed_ to be coping with the loss of his girlfriend Kara, but what was going on inside of his head was a whole different story. She understood as she was dealing with exactly the same thing. Realising that avoiding him would only do them both an injustice; she reached up to pat him on the shoulder. Where their skin touched, she felt a tingle run up her arm and straight to her heart. It was true that Skye still had feelings for the oldest Shannon child. She knew that she couldn't act on these, though, no matter how much she wanted to. For the time being, she would expect nothing of Josh but friendship. Deciding to change the subject, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "You heard about Hunter?"

"What?" he asked her, smirking, "He's got another parasite problem?"

"No," she chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "He's applying to work for Security."

He rolled his eyes. "_Damn_ those guys in the uniforms. They get all the girls."

"Including your sister," Maddy Shannon quipped, looping an arm around her unsuspecting brother, who did a double take. Skye smiled at the younger Shannon, who was looking between the two of them with a smile on her face, her dark eyes alight. "You two want to check out the competition? Mark's running them through a few drills. He told me a place where we can get a good view."

Josh raised his eyebrows. There weren't meant to be any spectators watching the initial testing. "Since when did my goody-two-shoes of a sister break the rules?"

Maddy smirked mischievously. "Since she wanted to observe her boyfriend's abs."

Skye laughed, though Josh appeared more than a little affected by that statement.

"Gross," he said dryly, "But I'll go. Boylan hasn't got me working until tonight, anyway." He didn't add that he needed something to keep his mind off of Kara. He shrugged Maddy's arm off of his shoulder and ruffled her hair affectionately, much to her apparent distaste. She began walking in the opposite direction, toward the building from which Taylor liked to make his announcements to the rest of the colony.

"Come on," Maddy called over her shoulder as she continued on toward the highest building in the colony. "We don't want to miss the beginning!"

Josh rolled his eyes once more and turned back to look at the girl before him – the girl that reminded him so much of Kara. He pushed their similarities from his mind and tried to focus on the day that was ahead of him. _One day at a time_, he reminded himself, _that's how you'll get through this_. "Skye," he began, "You coming?"

She met his eyes and for a brief moment he feared that she would say no. However, she apparently noticed the pleading in his eyes and quickly nodded. "Sure," she replied, making the first move to follow his excited sister toward their destination. "Who doesn't want to see your dad whipping a few wimps into shape?"

He smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes, something that he'd noticed about her grin, too. "Alright. Let's go watch the old man kick some ass."

* * *

><p>"Shannon."<p>

Jim turned, his expression cool, to face the approaching Commander. He acknowledged the older man with a respectful nod of his head. He was standing by one of the Security team's Rovers, fastening the clips on his uniform. He usually made a point not the wear the damned thing, but today was an exception. The choosing of the ten young people to replace the men and women that had fallen to protect the colony was an important event.

"You sure you don't need any help out there today?"

Jim shook his head and smiled. "I'll be fine and you know it. You just want to get back out there already." His eyes searched the older man's for any sign of acknowledgement. "Look, I understand. But Elizabeth said that it would be better for you not to put strain on your injury for a while. Only another few weeks and you'll be back where you belong, Commander."

"Damn straight," Taylor said gruffly. "You take care out there today. After what we… _discovered_ a few months ago, we can't be leaving anything up to luck. You take as many men as you need. I don't think we'll ever know if we're truly alone out here anymore."

With that, the Commander left Jim to handle the situation. He lifted his walkie-talkie to his mouth and gave a few short orders to Reilly, who received them with no questions asked. Smiling to himself, Jim sat silently as he awaited their arrival. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>Maddy led Josh and Skye behind the tall building, pausing just before a makeshift ladder. She hadn't been expecting that. Smiling sweetly to herself, she turned to stare at the two older teenagers behind her. "Mark must have set it up," she offered meekly, shrugging. She placed one foot on the lowest rung and quickly grabbed a higher one with both of her hands. "Hurry up!"<p>

Josh looked across at Skye, who was also grinning broadly. She hadn't bothered to break any rules since Terra Nova had been returned to Taylor's rightful control. This kind of mischief made her feel alive again, almost made her forget the feeling of her skin crawling as Lucas' hand had caressed her cheek. She followed Josh up the ladder and eventually pulled herself up by her arms and legs to sit on one of the wooden fences sturdy poles. She was on Josh's right side, Maddy on his left, and for the first time in a long time, she felt that things might return to normal once more.

Below them, they could see a group of young men and women scrambling to get a good look at Jim Shannon, who was standing in front of them, leaning against a Rover. Skye craned her neck, trying to get a better look at the situation unfolding before their very eyes.

"I can't hear anything," Josh complained, the excitement already draining from his face. "Maddy, can you hear anything?"

His sister shook her head. "I don't think that Mark thought this through too well. I mean, I know that's he's been stressed lately-"

"We don't care," he interrupted her, a smirk on his face. He turned his attention toward the blonde girl next to him. "You want to get out of here? There's no point if we can't understand what's going on."

Skye didn't reply. Instead, her eyes were focused on the group before them. A convoy of Rovers suddenly pulled up behind Jim's own vehicle, something that prompted looks of confusion from the three teenagers on the fence. From what she could tell, Jim was smiling as he watched the new recruitments hop into the machines.

"They're going OTG," Skye whispered in disbelief.

Josh's eyes scanned the mass of Rovers and then flicked left watch the gate as it began to slowly rise. "Didn't see that one coming," he noted mildly. "I don't get it. What the hell does dad hope to achieve by sending a bunch of inexperienced kids out there? The Slashers will be having a field day."

"Don't say that," Maddy warned her brother, her eyes flashing with annoyance as she swatted him on the arm. His eyes narrowed and soon he was trying to swat her back, seeming to forget that they were easily four metres up in the air and that the slightest movement could cause one or all of them to fall off the fence.

Skye shushed them, watching in astonishment as Jim Shannon climbed into the first of the Rovers. The vehicles began moving slowly out of the gates and into the unknown.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the Infirmary was almost empty. Dr. Elizabeth Shannon was perched on the bedside of Skye's mother, Deborah Tate. She helped the woman sip tentatively at a glass of water, her eyebrows drawn in concentration. When the woman was finished drinking, she placed the cup on a nearby table and took the woman's hand in her own. "Are you feeling better lately?" She asked, sympathy leaking into her words. "Can I get you anything else?"<p>

Deborah shook her head against the pillow. "No. You've given me everything I need. Thank you so much, Doctor."

Elizabeth smiled and let the other woman's hand go with a gentle squeeze. "Call me Elizabeth," she added, collecting the glass and standing up.

She turned on her heel, meaning to go and tend to another of the few patients, when she heard the familiar clatter of little feet running toward her. She looked out toward the Infirmary door, watching as her youngest daughter, Zoe, tumbled through it, her hair mussed and her eyes wide. "Mummy!" The little girl exclaimed, a worried look on her face. "They're coming!"

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat. A million thoughts ran through her mind, all of the Phoenix Group and an apparent second invasion of Terra Nova. "Who's coming, Zoe? What's going on?"

Zoe was trying to hide under behind one of the cabinets nearby. "Them!"

"Zoe," Elizabeth snapped. Then, watching as her daughter's face paled, she calmed herself and took a few slow steps toward her. Lowering her voice, she bent down before the little girl and tried to remain calm. "Tell me. Who's coming?"

"Paul and Emily," Zoe whispered, apparently happy with her hiding spot. "They're _it _and they found my last hiding spot. I don't want to be _it._"

Realising that Zoe was talking about a childish game, her mother breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh," she whispered, smiling to herself. Then, standing up once more, she placed her hands on her hips and looked kindly at her daughter, who was nervously biting her bottom lip. "Well, you know the rules, Zoe. No playing in the Infirmary."

The youngest Shannon bowed her head and nodded. 'Sorry mummy," she whispered as she tucked her hands into the tiny pockets of her dress. With that, she quickly checked that the coast was clear and hastily exited the premises, on her way to look for another hiding spot. Laughing quietly to herself, Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief. _Kids._

* * *

><p>"Perhaps they're getting the recruits to complete basic survival training," Maddy proposed, her hands framing her eyes as if they were binoculars as she tried to get a better look at the slowly moving convoy.<p>

"_Again?" _Josh scoffed. "_Everyone _did basic survival training, Maddy. Taylor's probably got them-"

"He's still under strict bed-rest orders from your mother," Skye interrupted. "I know because he's made me play chess with him at least six times this week."

Smirking, Josh squinted at the golden haired girl next to him. Although there was something off about her lately, he still caught glimpses of her usual sass and charm from time to time. Sighing when she didn't look back at him, he turned and stared at the gate once more. "This sucks."

"You're right," Maddy muttered, her face having fallen a few moments ago. "The testing was meant to take place behind this building. Looks like dad decided to change things up a bit."

A silence fell over the three of them. Suddenly, Josh's eyes lit up. He scrambled back onto the ladder and stared up at them. "Come on," he grinned, "We're going OTG, too."

"Oh no we _aren't," _Skye hissed, her eyebrows narrowing. Maddy seemed to agree with her. "No way. Over my dead body."

Josh smirked. "That could be arranged."

"Not funny, Josh. Taylor would _literally _kill me."

"You gone soft, Tate?" He teased. His hands and feet were steady on the ladder. "You used to like adventure."

"If we get caught I could be in serious trouble," she told him half-heartedly. It was true. She_ had_ gone soft. She wanted nothing more than to feel free and uncontained, light-hearted and wild once more, yet she knew that if she were to get caught outside of the gates then she could quite possibly be thrown out of the colony. Sure, Taylor had forgiven her for working for Sixers, but that was because he had understood her motives. If she was caught out there again those could be easily be questioned once more.

"That's why we won't get caught," Josh replied. Maddy rolled her eyes at her mischievous older brother. "I'm guessing that you're not coming, Maddy?"

His sister sighed. "You know me too well."

"Look's like it's just me and you, Skye."

Skye narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm _not_ going."

He groaned. "_Please._ Just this one time! We won't get caught. I promise."

She was about to snap at him when she noticed the look on his face. He needed this as a reminder of the old times, back when they'd first met and things had been so carefree. Before the Slasher attack and even for a short time after, when their friendship had been fledgling and her feelings for him hadn't gotten in the way of things. She knew that the repercussions of being caught outside of the gates could be huge for her, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to say no. Josh wasn't exactly right about not being caught, but he wasn't exactly wrong either. With Taylor stuck in the compound, confined to his house, the chances of them being caught were diminished slightly.

"Fine. And I am _not _going _soft_."

* * *

><p>Jim Shannon slammed the front door of the Rover shut and glanced at their surroundings. They were only two or three klicks away from Terra Nova but the Commander had told him to be careful regardless. Still, he wasn't exactly expecting a surprise ambush. Reilly, Reynolds and Dunham would keep a sharp eye on the area just in case.<p>

"Alright," he began, grasping both of his hands together as he stared out at the group of twenty or so young people assembled before him. They were all vying for a position on the Security detail. "As you can tell, things aren't exactly going the way you planned them to today. Instead of filling out paperwork about your time here in colony, you'll be completing a day-long course out here. This course will test both your mental and physical strength."

The faces of all of the men and women appeared to be eager, flushed with anticipation. Jim had been a cop, though, so he was able to spot those who were genuinely nervous about the situation that they had found themselves in.

"Firstly, I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the squad. If you're lucky enough to be recruited, you'll be seeing these fine men and women around the place quite often." Jim smirked. "Sometimes they'll get on your nerves but they'll protect you from danger if need be."

There were a few quiet chuckles. Deciding that it was time to get the ball rolling, he began to introduce the members of Security that he was brought along. Reynolds was among them. After introducing the young man, Jim winked at him, which caused him to smile broadly. Jim knew that his acceptance meant a great deal to Mark.

"Okay, you've met the rest of the detail. Now, let's get to work, soldiers!"

* * *

><p>Skye's breath was coming fast as she hurried through the forest, her ears trained for any sound other than Josh's familiar footfalls. She kept her eyes peeled for any sign of Jim and the others. Even though she knew that what they were doing was risky, she couldn't help but admit to herself that this was best she had felt for a very long time. The warm, humid wind was in her hair, caressing her face gently as she jogged, her ponytail thumping against her back as she did so. She could hear Josh's heavy breathing from behind her. She smiled. <em>Freedom.<em>

They'd slipped through the fence from which they'd escaped from the first time that they'd met. Remembering the carefree afternoon before the attack, Skye had felt a flicker of nervousness in her stomach as she'd recalled the way Josh had looked at her in her bikini, his face enraptured with both boyish shyness and blatant interest. These were distant memories. They'd become much closer since then. They understood each other - especially lately, following the recent turn of events. They both felt distant from their families and friends, sometimes even from each other.

"How much further?" She heard him complain from behind her. It wasn't as if Josh was unfit, but he wasn't exactly his father or Skye. Her stamina was something that he was jealous of. "You think we're even going the right way?"

"We're going the right way," she insisted, her breath shallow as she slammed her boots harder against the dirt, forcing herself to run faster. He struggled to keep up with her, sometimes getting tangled in the surrounding foliage. "Trust me."

He did. Eventually, after another minute or so, he almost collided against her when she stopped suddenly. She turned, her finger raised to her lips, willing him to be quiet. Their movements almost synchronised, they ducked behind a nearby shrub and watched as Jim Shannon observed the group of twenty young people currently trying their hands at various apparatus. The group were located in a large clearing, enabling enough room to move around and to even safely operate weaponry. Josh smirked as Hunter struggled to operate his sonic blaster. Skye couldn't help but giggle too.

They sat there for ten minutes, completely in silence, revelling in one another's company. After watching and reacting to Hunter's failed attempts at the many tasks set for him, Skye felt Josh's eyes lingering on her face. She refused to look at him and eventually he gave up. _Don't use her like that, _his conscience warned him, _don't think of her as Kara. It isn't fair. _

There was a snap behind them. Small, insignificant, almost like a bird landing on a twig on the forest floor. For a moment, an image of Lucas Taylor flickered in Skye's mind. _Don't be stupid. Paranoia won't help your cause. You have to stay strong, keep fighting those images back. One day it'll all pay off and you won't have to force yourself to anymore. _

Meanwhile, Josh had not noticed the sound of movement in the nearby trees. He was focused on staring at his father, who was instructing a young woman slightly older than himself on how to camouflage with safe and appropriate forest materials.

He didn't stand a chance when he was struck from behind.

Having heard the loud _wack _as Josh was knocked unconscious, Skye hastily jumped to her feet and turned around, her hands shaking and her heart pumping loudly in her chest. Images of Lucas filled her mind once more. _He's come back for you. All that work for nothing._

He stood in front of her, holding the sonic with which he had smashed the back of Josh's head in loosely by his side. His eyes were as wild, as _maniacal_ as she'd always thought them to be. "Bucket," he whispered, smirking at her, "I thought we'd meet again."

The subsequent scream that tore out of her throat, unconstricted and piercing, caused a nearby group of nesting Pterosaurs to hastily take off, flying up and out through the vast, miraculously bright blue sky.

* * *

><p>Jim, along with all the others currently with him, froze at the sound of her scream.<p>

"What the hell was that?" Reilly hissed, pulling her gun out and aiming it in the direction from which the scream had come.

Jim swivelled to face the young soldier, also pulling his small pistol from his holster and holding it to the ready. "I don't know," he answered, not bothering to look back towards the now fearful group of civilians. "But I intend to find out."

The sound of Mark's voice next to him was all that stopped him from blindly running into the trees beyond. "Awaiting your order, sir," he reminded the ex-cop, gesturing toward the group of twenty-or-so citizens.

Jim, already motioning for Reilly to follow him, merely glanced at the younger soldier. "Take these people back to Terra Nova and tell Taylor that we've encountered an issue OTG. Tell him to radio me as soon as you've debriefed him. Go." Mark quickly left, eager to follow his orders. "Reilly, Dunham, you're with me. Proceed slowly and cautiously."

* * *

><p>Lucas' arm had wound around her shoulders within seconds. Skye struggled to fight him off, even going as far to try and bite the hand that covered her mouth, effectively silencing any attempts she made to call for help. She tried to kick him but he was much too adept at dodging her attempts. His other arm settled around her waist, pulling her back against his chest as he rest his chin on the top of her head. She heard him breathe in her scent, pictured the way that his eyes lit up with desire.<p>

"Let me go!" She cried, though she knew that it was no use. Her words were too muffled. She wriggled in his arms but they were wound too tight around her. She could feel her throat contract as she forced herself not to show emotional weakness. _Don't cry. Don't let him control you. _

He hushed her. She could feel his warm breath against her ear as he whispered, "Don't struggle, dear sister. It will only make things worse for you."

Skye's eyes fell upon Josh's unconscious body lying just in front of them. Suddenly, Lucas was pulling her away from him and deeper into the unknown foliage surrounding them. "No!" She screamed. "No! Don't!"

"Don't _what?"_ Lucas hissed in her ear, his hot breath sending involuntary shivers down her spine. "I told you not to betray me again, Bucket. But you did. And now I'm going to have to teach you a lesson."

She couldn't help it. The tears in her eyes threatened to spill out and over her cheeks. She let out a weak sob as he roughly pulled her along with him. She tried her best to slow him down by digging her feet into the ground, but all it did was annoy him further. "What do you want from me?" She sobbed against his hand.

Lucas chuckled darkly. She could feel the rumble of his chest against her back. "I want to know why you people keep running back to my _father. _Why you shot me to save his life. Why, after everything that I told you, you still trusted _him _over _me!"_

"You're insane," she hissed, trying once more to fight him off of her. It was no use. Lucas was a grown man, a twenty-five year old man with his father's athletic build. Skye was seventeen, and although she was athletic, her stamina was her strong point. She wasn't exactly the strongest girl in Terra Nova. "Let me go. I'm nothing to you. Just let me go!"

He laughed once more. "Don't you see, Bucket, how wrong you are? You're everything to me. You and destroying my father, that's all that matters anymore."

He had only managed to drag her several metres backwards. If she looked hard enough, she could still see Josh's body lying still on the forest floor. "Josh!" She screamed, wishing desperately that his eyes would snap open. For the first time the possibility that he was dead crossed her mind. She blinked and the tears she had been holding back fell down her flushed cheeks.

"No use crying for your boyfriend, sis," her attacker told her. His voice held an air of fake sympathy. "I hit him pretty hard. Might even be out cold for a few hours."

"No," she whispered. "Josh!"

"I s_aid,"_ Lucas yelled, now growing incredibly frustrated, "That there's no _use, _Bucket! Don't you see that I'm the only one who truly cares about you?"

She struggled against him one last time. His arms were more forceful than before, gripping her face with ferocity. She was finding it hard to breathe. His fingers gripped her hips so aggressively that she was sure that he would leave bruises there. "It's me and you against the world, dear sister. You'll see that soon enough."

His hand gripped her mouth ferociously, almost entirely cutting off her air supply. Feeling weak, she gave up on her struggling, finally going limp in his arms. She was feeling dizzier and dizzier as her air supply decreased rapidly. Her vision went black at the edges. From the corner of her eye, through the trees that Lucas had dragged her through, she could see movement out by Josh's body. Jim, Reilly, Dunham. She tried to scream one last time but the words died in her throat as she passed out.

The last thing that she heard was Lucas' voice, soft and sinister by her ear, his warning loud and clear; "You won't betray me this time."

* * *

><p>"Sir!"<p>

Jim ran towards Reilly, who was bent over by a nearby shrub. Looking down at what she had found, his chest clenched as he saw his son Josh. He immediately knelt by the boy and checked his pulse, sighing, relieved, as he felt the strong drum of a heart beat under his fingertips. "Alive," he told Reilly, who nodded, also relieved."Scout the area. I don't think he would have come out here alone."

The Corporal did as she was told. Jim rested a hand on his son's forehead, his eyebrows drawn with concern. "Come on, son," he whispered, "Wake up."

Almost as if he had heard him, Josh suddenly seemed to stir. His eyes tentatively opened, the bright sunlight shining down through the canopy above them stinging his retinas. His father's face was looking down at him, his skin creased into lines where he was worried. It made him look much older than he really was. 

_What the…? Where am I?_

Josh sat up suddenly, his eyes wide with fear. He tried to control his babbling as he hastily shook his head, trying to clear the fuzziness that he felt there. "Dad. W-what are you-?"

"Was your sister with you?" Jim asked, unable to control himself. "We heard a scream-"

"No. Skye." Then, realisation dawning on him, he quickly looked around them. "Where is she?"

Jim stared as his son realised what had happened.

"Lucas," Josh spat out. "It must have been him. He knocked me out and then took her!"

Jim's eyes met his sons briefly before he helped him up, careful not to disorient the injured young man too much. Josh's hand reached up to gently touch the back of his head. His fingers touched a warm wet liquid, and when he pulled them away to look at them, his stomach churned at the sight of his own blood. "Whoa," Jim warned, hastily wrapping an arm around his son's shoulders to keep him upright when his feet faltered. "Steady."

"Skye," Josh said again, his mind becoming less and less foggy as time went on. "He took her. You have to find her!"

"Don't worry. We will. We've got to get you back to Terra Nova."

"No!" Josh exclaimed. "You have to find her first!"

Jim sighed, a conflicted expression upon his face. He was about to agree when he heard his walkie-talkie coming to life inside of his back pocket. "_Shannon, this is Taylor. Do you read me? Over."_

Making sure that Josh was steady before he reached into his pocket to grasp it in his hands; Jim raised the device to his mouth and spoke steadily into it. _"This is Shannon. I read you loud and clear, Commander. Over."_

There was a moment of silence as Jim waited for Taylor's reply. Finally, it came. _"What's going on? I clearly stated that everyone should be looking out for the slightest sign of trouble. You're telling me that you didn't see this coming at all?"_

"_Everyone included on our convoy was accounted for, sir. It seems that my son and Skye decided to tag along without our knowledge," _Jim replied, eying Josh without any trace of disappointment. Now was not the time.

"_I see,"_ came the Commander's reply. _"Are they alright?"_

Jim took a deep breath before answering. _"Josh is injured, though I'm sure he'll be fine. Skye is… missing. Josh seems to believe that it was your son."_

"_My son is dead."_

Jim sighed. _"Apparently not, sir. Should I get together a short search party for Skye?"_

It took almost a minute for Jim to receive his reply from the Commander. Taylor's voice had changed. In place of the concerned but conflicted man he had been seconds ago, there was a cold, harsh warrior. _"No. It appears that we've been fooled, Shannon."_

"_How so?"_

"_Think about it. What does Skye mean to Lucas? She tricked us. She was never loyal to Terra Nova. This was merely a stunt to return to her own people whilst luring us into a trap-"_

Jim didn't wait for the Commander to finish talking. _"With all due respect, sir, I really don't think that that is the case."_

Silence. Then, _"She was smarter than we could possibly have guessed. We should have known that the Phoenix Group would keep someone here to watch the colony after they'd packed up and left."_

Jim opened his mouth to protest, but the words wouldn't come out. Josh, who, thankfully, wasn't listening to their conversation, threw up in a bush nearby. Dunham made some sort of juvenile comment about his aim.

"_You will follow my orders, Shannon. Return to Terra Nova immediately." _And with that, Commander Taylor was gone. Jim stared helplessly at the device in his hands. He'd been wrong about Skye before. He could very well be once again. Deciding that he should listen to his superior, Jim pocketed the walkie-talkie and turned to face his grave-looking son.

"Are they sending reinforcements?" He asked his father. The teenager's eyes were dazed-looking. Once again worried for his son's health, Jim gestured for Reilly and Dunham to follow him as he led him back towards the Rover a hundred or so metres away.

Silently, Jim shook his head. "Skye can't be trusted, Josh-"

Josh pulled away from his father, a confused expression on his pale face. "What?"

"Taylor seems to think that she's spying for the other side again. That Lucas is actually her accomplice-"

"No," Josh interrupted his father. "No. Trust me. I know that she's not."

Jim seemed unsure. "Regardless, I have to follow my orders."

Josh pushed his arm off of his shoulders, a look of betrayal flashing across his face. "You'd really trust _Taylor _over your own _son?"_

Jim panicked. "No, Josh, I-"

"Forget it. I'm going to look for her myself," Josh muttered, attempting to make his own way out, further into the prehistoric forest. As he was attempting this, though, he stumbled slightly, his head spinning. His father took advantage of his current weakness.

"You're not actually. You're coming home and your mother is going to fix that head of yours."

Josh tried to struggle against Jim's restricting grip but found that he was too weak. "He's going to _kill _her, dad," he mumbled as they walked slowly toward the Rover. "You can't just blindly follow orders."

"That's enough," Jim said firmly, "No more. Get in the Rover."

The angry, bright light in Josh's eyes seemed to fade as he stared into his father's unfaltering face. "You really don't believe me, do you?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Jim didn't answer him.

* * *

><p>"Mark!"<p>

Maddy wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, relieved that he was home - safe and sound once more. He greeted her calmly as always, a serene look on his face once he found himself in her arms again. It didn't last for long, though, as she soon pulled away and looked up at him, her face concerned. "What happened?"

"There was a disturbance in the forest. Other than that, we don't exactly know," he replied. "It should be fine."

Maddy caught the hint of doubt in his voice. "Have you seen Josh or Skye since you got back?" She asked him, trying to appear relaxed. Inside, her heart was beating fast, adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"No," he answered, his eyes searching her face for any clues as to why they would be outside of the gates. "Oh, Maddy, tell me they didn't-"

"I _told_ them that it wouldn't be a good idea!" She hastily tried to explain.

"What wouldn't be a good idea?"

They both turned, surprised, to see Dr. Shannon, her hand linked with Zoe's, standing behind them. Her face was a mixture of amusement and curiosity. Then, noticing the grave looks on both of the teenager's faces, hers changed to one of worry. "Where is your brother?" She snapped, her eyes narrowing.

Maddy avoided her mother's eyes. Feeling that he had no other choice, Mark explained what he knew about the situation to his girlfriend's mother. Elizabeth's eyes grew wider as he uttered each sentence, nervously wringing his hands the whole time as Maddy stared at her feet beside him.

"Your brother is _missing?"_ Elizabeth exclaimed when he was finished, her eyes immediately landing on her daughter's guilty face. "And you were going to tell me this _when?"_

Maddy opened her mouth to apologise but was cut short when a Security guard watching the gate yelled out to one of his co-workers below. Elizabeth caught enough of the exchange to know to look toward the gate. Maddy and Mark looked too, relief crossing their faces as they saw a Rover approaching the wooden gate, which was quickly raised to make way for the last of the convoy.

Elizabeth pulled Zoe by the hand toward the approaching vehicle as Maddy and Mark followed closely behind. Within a few minutes, Jim held Zoe tight in his arms as Elizabeth helped Josh from the vehicle. Reilly and Dunham exchanged a few friendly words with Mark, who seemed pleased that everyone had returned home safely. Or so he thought they had.

"Where's Skye?" Maddy questioned her father, her eyes wide and searching. They flickered to meet her brother's for a quick moment, and upon finding no answer there, returned to her father's. The look on his face said enough. She could tell that his news wasn't going to be of the good kind.

* * *

><p><em>Next week on 'Terra Nova'...<em>

_Will Skye escape Lucas' clutches? How will Josh deal with her disappearance, and will his relationship with his father once again diminish because of this? Will be there be trouble in paradise for Maddy and Mark, and will Malcolm come between Jim and Elizabeth once more? _

_Stay tuned to find out.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

This is my first fic for Terra Nova, a show that I love even though the critics didn't. This story will basically be my own take on what Season Two could be like if we're lucky enough to get a second season. It will feature all of the main characters and possibly some new ones. I will try to update once a week so that it's almost like you get a new episode every week. I will be attempting to develop stronger character backstories and relationships, so bear with me. I don't want to mention to ships in this story yet because I feel like I want to keep them a surprise, but my OTP for this series is Lucas/Skye, so don't doubt that I won't go there at least once.

I realise that this wasn't exactly the greatest written piece, but it's three o'clock in the morning here in Australia, so forgive any mistakes that I have made. Please let me know what you thought of this first 'episode' in a review. Did I create enough drama and suspense? Were the characters true to themselves? Please tell me. I'll improve if I have something to work with from my audience. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed what I've written for you.


	2. Chapter 2

_There is no paradise without sacrifice._

_The world's population is at a bursting point. Ninety percent of plant and animal life is extinct. Mankind has but one last hope for survival, the likes of which lie 85 million years in the past…_

* * *

><p>Terra Nova, Season Two, Episode Two: Not Harmless<p>

* * *

><p>As the sun rose over Terra Nova, Maddy Shannon was panicking. She paced, back and forth, back and forth, crossing and uncrossing her arms over her chest as she waited. He was late. Again. Soon, her father would wake up and head off to work. If he saw her hanging around looking suspicious, he would begin to wonder what in the world she was up to. She didn't need that.<p>

There was a quiet, almost discernible sound just outside of the walls of the Shannon residence. Maddy's eyes widened; a slow, wide grin taking over her features. The panic that had left her stomach feeling tight and her teeth clenched now disappeared as excitement took over. She hastily grabbed her satchel bag – currently holding her Plexpad, you know, in case she needed to look anything up – and pulled it over her shoulder before making her way over to the front door.

She quietly pulled it open and smiled up at her boyfriend, currently dressed in casual clothes – which was a rare sight, as he worked nearly every day as a part of Terra Nova's security detail. "Hi," she greeted him as she pulled the door shut behind her. There was a coy smile on her lips, a sparkle in her eye as he grinned at her before insisting that he take her bag. After a little half-hearted arguing on her part, he placed it over his own shoulder, frowning at the weight of it.

He sent her a pointed look as they began to walk away from the house. "You brought your Plex, didn't you?"

Maddy blushed, though she knew that she didn't have to pretend to be somebody else around Mark. "I like to be prepared for any situation," she replied. He chuckled then, like he hadn't expected any better. She looked up at him before playfully elbowing him in the rib, causing him to laugh even harder.

"Where are we even going anyway?" She wondered out loud. Mark often liked to take her out and surprise her with beautiful, natural landscapes and the wonders of the new world – something that couldn't happen at the moment, not after Commander Taylor's new set of rules had been laid down on the whole of the colony. Every trip outside of the gates was to be cleared by Taylor himself, and any member of the colony seen breaking these rules would be immediately transferred to the Brig and then thoroughly questioned. Ever since Skye's disappearance, everyone had been treating life with new caution.

"Nowhere special," Mark answered. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice, though she knew that he would never break the Commander's trust. "Just to my place. Dunham's already gone out, somewhere with Reilly, so I was thinking we could get some breakfast or something."

Suddenly, she was at loss for words. She had been to the small place that Mark shared with his fellow soldier and housemate many times, but never alone with her boyfriend. Was he… implying something? Maddy had never done… _that _before. He _was _eighteen, nearly nineteen; surely Mark had had sex before, right?

"Breakfast sounds good," she exclaimed a little too loudly. Her voice had rose about two octaves and she was sure that he had noticed. Her cheeks flushed and she ducked her head to hide them.

"O-_kay,_ then," he replied, smirking at her oddly. "You feeling alright this morning? You seem a little tense."

She looked away from him and cringed. It wasn't that she wasn't ready for… _that… _it was just that she hadn't expected the time to come so soon. What if she was terrible at it? What it he dumped her because she was so bad? She knew that Mark would never do that, but she couldn't help but still be afraid. She'd always loved the idea of Terra Nova, of the science behind it, the freedom, of the liberty – everything that it stood for. Still, she had never expected her favourite part of it to be a _boy. _

"It's Skye, isn't it?" He asked, suddenly reaching out and gripping her shoulders gently in his hands. He turned her so that she stared up at him, their eyes parallel to one another. "I know that we haven't really spoken about it since it happened, but you understand that we don't know the full story, right? I know that Skye is a close friend of your brother's, but I have to follow the Commander's orders-"

"No. _No,"_ Maddy interrupted him. "It isn't that. I _do _agree with Josh. I don't think that Skye would betray the colony again. I mean, she _despises _Lucas…" She trailed off, a sudden wave of guilt and sadness overpowering her. In the past few days she'd been incredibly busy with school and study, so busy that she hadn't really had time to think about the girl who had been kidnapped not even a week ago. "But I understand that you have to do your job. I know that it's not personal."

He nodded gravely as they started to walk towards his house once more. Their hands entangled as they did so, causing them both to feel more at ease. However, the shadow of Skye's possible demise hung over them, as it did over many other members of the colony.

* * *

><p>"Hey, dad, can we talk?"<p>

Jim turned to look back at his eldest child and only son, Josh, who was following him with intent. It was nine o'clock and he was due in Commander Taylor's quarters to be debriefed on his duties for the day. He didn't have the time for this.

However, as Josh's eyes searched his face, lost, alone, and fragile, he remembered why they had moved to Terra Nova - to be a family once more. Anything Taylor had to say to him could wait; Jim's family came first, no matter the consequences.

"Sure, kiddo. What is it?"

Josh looked down at his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets. There was a crease between his eyebrows, something that he had developed following Kara's death. _Poor kid, _Jim found himself thinking, _first Kara and now Skye. _"I- I've been thinking…"

"That's not good," Jim joked softly, hoping for a small smile out of the sullen teenager. He didn't get one.

"I've decided that I want to join Security."

Jim froze. His son stared back at him, his gaze suddenly unwavering, his posture still slightly hunched and drawn inward, as if he were afraid that his strength would crumble at any moment now. "You want to _what?"_

"You know," Josh chuckled darkly. "I want to do what you do."

Jim shook his head. "This isn't you, Josh. You've… you've never wanted to do anything that I do," he replied, his voice hard. "This is about Skye, not about you-"

Josh wrenched a hand from his pocket and ran it through his tousled brown hair – a nervous habit that he had had since he was a young child. "Just listen to me," he hissed.

This was dangerous territory, Jim realised. He and Elizabeth had spoken about their eldest child the night previous, carefully discussing his behaviour and how he was dealing with the short straws that life had handed him. They knew that if Josh felt as if nothing were being done, then he would do something drastic – like go and look for Skye himself. That could possibly be disastrous.

"I can't just mill around here, waiting for someone else to do something about it. She's not a spy anymore, dad. You know that, too!" His voice was pleading, desperate. "She only helped the Sixers and Lucas before because they had her _mum!"_

Jim walked quickly towards his son and placed an arm around his shoulders. Josh continued talking, though Jim had stopped listening for a moment, instead focusing on watching the surrounding civilians with caution as he led his son away from the main sector of the colony, away from their unwanted audience. Talk of the Sixers and the Phoenix Group was not something that Terra Nova needed right now. There was to be no more fear instilled in the hearts of the community – life would go on peaceful and plentiful in their minds.

Josh shrugged him off and stared up at him once more, his eyes dry but red, tired and weary after nightmare-filled nights. Images of Kara, of the life that they had left behind in 2149, still echoed in the back of his mind. When he pushed them away, he was bombarded by the memories of Skye's lips against his, her head on his shoulder as the tears rolled down her cheeks after she had been discovered as the Sixer spy.

"You and I both know that Skye _hated _Lucas. Not only that, but she was r_epulsed _by him. She wouldn't help him," he told his father through clenched teeth. He remembered the feeling of his fist against Lucas' face; the sweet, satisfying crunch of bone against bone. He'd wanted to hit him so badly after how he'd treated Skye in Boylan's Bar – and he hadn't been the only one either. He'd felt Boylan himself tense behind the bar, his fingers itching toward the blade that he kept hidden in a drawer just in case one of his gambling agreements went awry. "She's in danger out there. We can't just leave her."

Jim found that he too was clenching his teeth. "I know. I understand-"

"No you don't," his son hissed impatiently. "You don't understand me at all. She is the closest thing that I have left to-to…" He trailed off, suddenly unable to speak.

"To Kara," Jim finished for him, his eyes filled with sympathy. "Look, Josh. I haven't said it before... but I'm sorry," he sighed. "I should have been able to save her. I let you down."

His son nodded solemnly. "Regardless, when the Commander announces the next meet, I'll be there to sign up for the security team."

Jim took a deep breath, obviously pained. He didn't want his child in danger - and a job like that almost guaranteed that he would be. "Okay. _Fine. _But you're talking to your mother about this tonight at dinner, understood?"

"Understood," Josh affirmed with a grimace on his usually sullen face before turning around and starting to walk away. Jim, too, was about to continue on in the opposite direction when his son turned around and glanced back at him.

"One more favour, dad?"

Jim sighed. His son was going to be the death of him. "Shoot."

"Would you talk to Commander Taylor for me? Plead Skye's cause? There's something seriously wrong with him if he thinks that she's a traitor. She's in real danger out there with his son. Just remind him of that."

* * *

><p>Mark had his hands tangled in Maddy's hair, pressing sweet kisses to her lips and to her neck. They were spread out across his stained couch – courtesy of a very messy Dunham – their hands roaming over one another's bodies in curious, hungry strokes. They had never been like this before, Maddy thought as she gently bit at Mark's lower lip, causing him to groan quietly. They had always been careful, afraid to go further than they were ready to. Never before had they been like<em> this<em> – passionate, uncontrolled, and desirable. The way that he touched her made her stomach flutter with excitement. All previous nerves were forgotten. She felt in control, wild. As her tongue entangled with his, she gasped. Suddenly overwhelmed with courage, she allowed her hand to travel downwards and along his thigh, searching for _that_-

Mark jumped and gently untangled himself from her, sending her a shocked look. His eyes were wide and his cheeks were slightly flushed. She blushed, too, smiling coyly, though on the inside she was mortified. "What was _that?"_

She tried to answer, but she suddenly found herself unable to utter a coherent response. "I-I… uh-"

He looked worried as he recognised the embarrassment on her face. He reached out and gripped her hand in his, soothing her by rubbing gentle circles on her palm with his fingers. "Maddy," he said, looking into her eyes with earnest, "You shouldn't have to feel pressured into anything. If I made you feel that way, I apologise."

She blinked at him; once, twice, three times, before she understood what he was telling her. A giggle escaped her. "Oh. _Oh…"_

He raised his eyebrows, obviously confused. "What?"

She moved to straddle his waist again. "I wasn't doing_ that_ because I felt pressured. I _wanted_ to."

She smiled and placed her lips over his once more. He responded immediately, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, stroking her hair gently as the kiss deepened. They sought after one another, once again consumed with passion. His tongue battled hers with a sudden hastiness. She whispered his name against his lips as her hands raked down his chest and to the hem of his shirt. She lifted it up and off of him, then proceeded to kiss him. His hands danced across her back as her arms wrapped around his neck. Her lips were so soft, so tempting. His hands couldn't be controlled. They moved to gently cup her breasts over her black tank top. Maddy sighed contentedly and let her eyes fall closed.

He groaned and gently shoved her off of him, causing her to yelp a little in surprise. As he quickly stood up and made his way to the bathroom, she stared after him, dumbstruck. "Mark?" She called when she was sure that she had found her voice once more. "Mark? What's going on?"

He winced as he recognised the panic in her voice. Regardless he slipped into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He breathed in and out, tried to control his desire – tried to think of anything but her. He gripped the bathroom counter and leant forwards, staring hard at his reflection in the mirror. His muscles were tense, his knuckles almost white.

"Mark?" There was a gentle knock on the door. "What's happening?"

"Go home, Maddy."

"No." _Stubborn._ "I'm not leaving until you tell me what just happened. Why'd you run away from me?"

"I told your dad that I'd respect you. _That _wasn't exactly respecting you," he snapped, frustrated at himself.

He heard her sigh. "You're being silly. I _know_ that you respect me, Mark! You show me that every day. What was happening back there – it's natural. Please don't feel like you're taking advantage of me, because you aren't. I _want _you."

"You think that you do. I want to prove to you that you mean everything to me."

"How else could you do that?" She asked, growing slightly exasperated. "By marrying me and _then _having sex with me? We're in Terra Nova, Mark, not the eighteenth century!"

He didn't answer her.

She rolled her eyes and gently placed her hand on the door, perhaps to remind him that she was there - no matter what. "_Fine._ Just… let me in? We'll talk about it another time."

He shook his head, even though he knew that she couldn't see him. "I really think that you should go."

Disappointed, she let her hand gently slide off of the wood and come to dangle at her side. "Alright," she replied dejectedly. "Although I don't agree with you, I'll be at home if you want to see me later._ Studying._"

"Fine."

She grabbed her satchel and slammed the door behind her.

* * *

><p>The stress of running the Infirmary was really getting to Elizabeth. There had been an outbreak of the common cold in the west sector of Terra Nova, and there was a line of at least thirty civilians outside of the building, waiting impatiently for their medicine. Adding to that problem was the lack of staff and Malcolm Wallace's constant need to be within five metres of her presence.<p>

"I'm just jetting off to the marketplace to get some lunch. Anything that I can get you, Elizabeth?" He asked her for the third time that day.

It was times like these when she found herself wondering what she had _ever _seen in such a man. "No, thank you. I'm fine," she replied as cheerfully as she could whilst trying to administer painkillers to a grumpy, uncooperative senior citizen.

Malcolm appeared crestfallen as he tightened the strap of his satchel bag, which currently hung over his shoulder. "Are you sure? You look exhausted."

"I wouldn't be so exhausted if Commander Taylor hadn't refused to rescue one of my best workers from a deranged homicidal maniac," she snapped shortly, her temper getting the better of her.

He all but scurried away from her after that, allowing her to breathe easily in his absence. She moved over to her work station and placed the unused painkillers in the bin. The old woman was just _not _cooperating and she had other patients to deal with.

"Elizabeth?"

She nearly growled. "I swear to _God, _Malcolm-"

But it was Jim Shannon who appeared at her side. She sighed, relieved.

"Malcolm?" He chuckled, his eyebrows raised with a smirk. "It's not every day that I get compared to such a _fine _specimen of a man."

She rolled her eyes and pressed her lips to her husband's for a quick, familiar kiss. "Oh, shut up," she said, though she was smiling as she stood back, her hands on her hips. "What is it?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to come and talk to the Commander with me," he told her. Then, more quietly, so that no one but she heard him, he continued, "It's about Skye."

Elizabeth's eyes darkened with understanding. "Okay," she agreed. "I've been thinking that we should do this. It's just not fair. She's vulnerable out there…" She shook images of Lucas Taylor out of her mind. If she dwelled on Skye's predicament, she would find herself in a fit of worry – and there was no use for worrying when nothing could be done. "I'll tell one of the other workers."

Jim nodded and watched as she walked away. He leant back against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Eliza- Oh, hello, Jim," Malcolm spluttered, surprised at his sudden appearance at Elizabeth's work station. "What are you doing here?"

"Collecting Elizabeth for an important meeting with the Commander," he replied dryly, eyeing Malcolm's satchel bag with distaste.

His wife's ex-boyfriend visibly prickled. "Well, I'll be going with you."

Jim chuckled. "Not gonna happen, Malcolm."

"Why not? As the Chief Science Officer I am almost certainly _required _to be present at important meetings. Besides, Elizabeth is my staff; you can't just take her away from the work practice without my permission!"

"What is going on?" Elizabeth demanded upon reaching her work station once more. Then, noticing Malcolm, she sighed, "I thought that you were on lunch."

"I brought it back here," he explained, gesturing to his satchel, "I brought you some fruit, too, if you wanted it-"

"He's demanding that he goes with us to visit the Commander," Jim told her, obviously annoyed at the other man. "I told him no."

"Which he actually cannot do, considering my position-"

"Oh, be quiet," Elizabeth hissed. "_Both_ of you! I'm so tired that I'm sure that my eyes are about to drop out of my head, and if I have to listen to you two argue like children one more time then I'll just send you both out to see Taylor and I'll go home!"

Both men were quiet for a few moments. Then, as usual, Malcolm had something to say. "Yes. That sounds fair. Shall we go then?"

Rolling his eyes, Jim followed the two doctors out of the Infirmary.

* * *

><p>She could hear the gentle chirp of a nearby bird.<p>

It reminded her of a distant memory, of a time when she had played with a kite just outside of the gates, in the orchard, holding her father's hand. Birdsong had travelled from the coverage of the nearby forest, straight to her ears. Her father's hand had tightened around hers at the sound – after all, they were new to the colony and he had still been afraid of the mysterious jungle beyond. She had been only ten years old at the time.

"It's just a bird, dad," she'd giggled. "One of the teacher's at school told me about them. They're harmless."

_Harmless._ What did that mean, exactly? Did it mean that she was safe? Safety was unpredictable.

Lucas Taylor was unpredictable.

Skye opened her eyes; the bright sunlight that filtered through the tree-tops causing her to wince. Her head throbbed. She had a million questions that remained unanswered. _Where was she? How far away from Terra Nova had he taken her? Why hadn't he killed her yet...?_

_Don't you see, Bucket, how wrong you are? You're everything to me. You and destroying my father, that's all that matters anymore._

She shivered at the sound of his voice. It echoed around and around in her mind as if it was some sort of hypnotic mix tape. _What did he want from her?_ She didn't understand. She tried to prop herself up on her elbows, but she was so tired…

* * *

><p>"The Shannon's and Dr. Wallace are here to see you, sir."<p>

Commander Taylor looked up from his desk and at Lieutenant Reilly, who stared straight ahead, emotionless. He knew that his decisions regarding Skye's capture had been unpopular within the ranks, but he never questioned his own judgement. Especially not now.

"Thank you, soldier. At ease."

Reilly seemed relieved as she dropped her shoulders and exited the room. She passed the three visitors on the way out, sent them an empathetic look. Taylor was not in a good mood today. They'd picked the wrong time to visit.

"Shannon, Dr. Shannon," Taylor greeted them in turn, nodding his head as them as they stared back at him respectfully. "Wallace."

"It-it's Dr. Wallace, actually-"

Taylor silenced him with a glare. "What is it that you came here for, Shannon? I hope it's not to do with Skye. You know perfectly well that I've made my decision."

Jim exhaled deeply. "Sir, with all due respect, we came here to ask that you reconsider-"

"I will do no such thing."

Elizabeth spoke up next. "Please. She could be in serious trouble out there. Her mother, Deborah, is worried out of her mind."

"Dr. Shannon, I understand Deborah's state of mind. I, too, was worried about my son all those years ago. However, I discovered that my son was a traitor. Her daughter is, too."

"Where is your proof of this?" Elizabeth questioned. "I know Skye. She would never, ever do anything to hurt the colony unless someone she loved was in danger. You know that."

"Trust me," Taylor replied, his voice harsh. "I have thought long and hard about what to do with Skye. Long before her supposed _capture_, I had suspected an allegiance to the Phoenix Group. Lucas is her connection. She works for him."

"I, too, suspected it all along," Malcolm added, earning annoyed looks from Jim, Elizabeth and Taylor.

"Where's your proof then?" Jim demanded to know. "How can I trust you when I haven't seen any proof?"

Taylor heaved a sigh and pushed himself up from his chair. He rummaged in one of his desk drawers, produced a document and thrust it at the ex-cop.

Jim's eyes focused on the paper. Elizabeth and Malcolm watched worriedly as his face darkened.

"A contract stating that she, Skye Alexandria Tate, would remain in service to the Phoenix Group, and Lucas, my son, until she has proved her worth to them. It's signed," Taylor said gravely. "I promise you, Shannon, that I have had every possible security check done on the damn thing. It's real."

Jim looked up front the document, stared hard at his Commander. "Are you one hundred percent sure?"

"Positively."

"How do you know that she wasn't forced to sign it?" Elizabeth snapped.

"Security footage. Damn Lucas forgot to have it deleted, didn't he?" Taylor smirked dryly. "Never had a military mind, that boy. Just equations. Always equations."

Elizabeth did not seem convinced. "If you'd like to see it, Dr. Shannon, please feel free. There's a whole five minute loop of it. Skye walks in, Lucas walks up to her, they talk, he moves to this desk, pulls out the document, she looks at him and then signs it, on every single dotted line, without a word," Taylor told her, clearly disgusted. "You'll never guess what happens next."

Nobody said a word.

"He kisses her."

* * *

><p>When she woke up again, Skye managed to pull herself to her feet. By the time she was standing, she could practically feel her legs screaming out in protest. She glanced, terrified, around her for some sign of Lucas. Strangely, there was none. <em>Why would he leave me here alone, unguarded? <em>Surely he had too much confidence in his ability to knock her out cold. _Well, dear brother, _she found herself thinking as she gathered her wits; _you'll soon regret your __carelessness._

"And where do you think_ you're_ going, Bucket?"

She span, startled, to face him. The quick movement set her off balance, caused her to slip. To her disgust, he quickly caught her and pulled her tightly against his chest.

"Just can't resist me, can you?" He hissed into her ear. She pulled away from him, revolted. "Now, now. Don't act so repulsed. You'd have to be hungry, wouldn't you, after such a long time unconscious? Sorry about that, by the way. Desperate times call for desperate measures."

She didn't reply. Instead, she merely stared. Over the past month or so, his hair had grown out slightly, although he appeared to have shaved since then. There were small cuts and grazes on his hands and around his jaw, as well as a layer of grime covering his skin. She could taste his scent in the air; coarse and manly, natural and distinct. She was trapped. The knife in his belt was visible through his shirt; it jutted out, reminded her that he was in control. He had been ever since they'd met.

He pulled an unfamiliar fruit from his satchel and tossed it to her. In her current state of unbalance, she missed it completely. It fell at her feet, covered in dirt. She was ravenous, though, so this didn't stop her. She immediately dropped her to knees and scrambled for it, bit into its furry purple skin. The red juice burst forth into her mouth and she almost moaned at its taste.

"Good, isn't it?"

She ignored him once more. When she was finished with the fruit, she looked down at her hands, transfixed. The juice had stained her; it's mark as red as blood.

"Blood fruit," Lucas told her.

Suddenly sickened, she leaned forward to retch on the dirt. She heaved up the overpowering juice. It got caught in her hair, on her clothing. Still, Lucas remained standing where he stood. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. Her stomach hurt, contracted as she continued to heave, even though there was nothing left to regurgitate. Finally, when she was done, her captor stared down at her. "It's much too rich for the immune system. I guess I should have mentioned that before. Still, I guess it's punishment for your actions. You'll be ill for about twenty four hours."

Skye moved away from him, wiped at her face, tried to rid herself of the overpowering taste. Her limbs were shaking as she fell, unable to hold herself on her knees any longer. "W-why?" She rasped, her throat burning. The tears were falling down her cheeks and onto her shirt now.

"Why? _Why?"_ He smirked and looked down at the ground before staring deep into her eyes, his green iris' almost piercing her soul. "Why did you save him?" He bellowed.

She cowered against the dirt, terrified after his sudden outburst. The wild changed Lucas, made him more than a sullen man with daddy issues. He was frightening, menacing. She longed for the protection of the colony's walls, the comfort of her own bed, the familiar feeling of Josh's arm around her, the relief of her mother's smile.

Lucas seemed to collect himself. "I'm sorry for my outburst. It's just that when a contract is signed, I tend to believe that the agreement will stand. Especially when the person who I've made the agreement with means so much to me." He spoke slowly, as if his words were rehearsed. "Now, Bucket. I need to know, are you willing to help me again?"

She spat some fruit residue out in his general direction. Each word that she spoke caused her pain. "I don't… have… a choice."

He moved closer to her, knelt down beside her. She refused to look at him. "You _chose_ to save young Shannon. If he had let us continue on with our lunch date, then everything would have been fine. Or maybe, if you'd let him die, then you wouldn't be in debt to me."

He stood up suddenly and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" She found herself screaming after him. "Don't leave me out here alone! I'll die!"

He slowly whirled to face her, his eyes alight, inexplicably happy because she _wanted _him to stay. "I'll be back soon, dear sister. And don't worry; the only thing that can possibly harm you is me."

And with that, he disappeared into the nearby trees.

* * *

><p>When Jim and Elizabeth entered the house, they were swarmed by their three children, all demanding different bits of information. "Have you seen Mark?" Maddy questioned her mother, who shook her head, puzzled.<p>

"Daddy! There's a spider in my bedroom!" Zoe cried, crossing her arms over her chest. "The song didn't work!"

Elizabeth sent her husband a confused look. He shrugged and followed their youngest to the bedroom that she shared with her older sister. On the way there, Josh grabbed him by the arm and stared hard at him. "So, how'd it go?"

Jim couldn't look his son in the eye as he responded. "It seems that the Commander was right all along. Skye was working with the Phoenix Group."

Josh's mouth opened and closed a few times before he was able to form words once again. "I- I don't believe it."

"I know that it's hard, son, but we're all just going to have to put her behind us and move on," Jim replied sympathetically, placing a hand on Josh's shoulder, attempting to comfort him. It didn't work.

Josh shrugged him off. "What? You can't be serious."

Jim didn't reply. Instead, he smiled sadly at him before he moved on, preparing to get rid of the spider inhabiting Zoe's room and mind.

* * *

><p>There was a knock at her window. Startled, Maddy's eyes snapped open.<p>

"_Psst…"_

Her eyes lit up. She shoved her blankets off and tip-toed over to the window, which she quietly opened, praying that Zoe, who slept in the bed on the opposite side of the tiny room, wouldn't wake. She looked out at Mark, who stood not a metre away, his hands buried in his pockets and a sheepish expression on his face.

"I wanted to say that I was sorry… for how I behaved this morning," he began, composed as usual. "I shouldn't have told you to leave. I just wanted you to know that I respected you and I was nervous and I-"

"Is this what it was all about?" She smiled, unable to help herself. "How in the world were _you _nervous?"

"I wasn't-"

She laughed. "Yes, you were."

He chuckled. "Okay, okay. I was. I just thought that maybe I wouldn't be good enough… that you'd want to dump me. You might have realised that you're _way _out of my league-"

"_I'm_ way out of _your _league?" She repeated, incredulous. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not," he argued. "You're beautiful, funny… practically a human encyclopaedia…"

She rolled her eyes. "Get over here."

He jogged up to the window and she leant down to chastely kiss his lips. "I will never, _ever_ be too good for you. We're equals."

He smiled. "I love you."

She grinned back at him. "And I love you too, but we're going to have to talk about what happened today."

"Soon," he agreed.

* * *

><p>Jim could feel Elizabeth stir beside him. He rolled over and propped his head up on his elbow. When his eyes focused, it became apparent to him that she had been crying. As he had always done, even when they were younger, he panicked.<p>

"Liz?" He pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her and gently brushed the tears from her cheeks.

"I can't possibly know that we did the right thing today, Jim. What if Taylor was wrong? They could be staged videos… I just keep thinking… what if that was_ our_ daughter? Regardless of what she'd done, you'd always go to find her," she whispered. "No one has gone to find Skye. She's all alone in the jungle."

He pressed a kiss to his wife's forehead. "I know… We just have to have faith in him and hope that he really did make the right decision."

"She's a _little girl, _Jim. She needs to know that there are people out there that still care about her."

He didn't say anything – _couldn't_ say anything. So he did all he could do; he just held her.

* * *

><p>Surrounded by darkness, Skye shivered in the cold night air. She'd dug herself a hole to sleep in, though it didn't do much to hide her from the antagonizing breeze. She still lapsed in and out of sickness. The fruit had made her feel disorientated. Occasionally, she would see things; memories of times gone by – her mother and her father undamaged by the fever. In the trees beyond she could hear noises; low rumbling growls and high-pitched screeches. She was terrified but she couldn't run. The fruit had made her sluggish, slow. She'd never outrun a predator in her current state. She didn't stand a chance.<p>

"Help!" She screamed helplessly. Her throat ached, though the burning had stopped long ago. Lucas had been gone for hours… or was it _days_? "Somebody help me!"

She knew that it was incredibly stupid to draw attention to herself like this, but she couldn't help it. She felt so alone. _Why hadn't anyone come looking for her yet? Didn't they _care _about her anymore? _

"It's Skye! Please, somebody! _Help!"_

She screamed when a hand covered her mouth. She bit at it as she thrashed powerlessly in his clutches. "It's just me, Bucket. You should know better than to scream like that. I'll let you go if you're quiet."

He removed his hand from her face and moved to kneel in front of the makeshift ditch that she had spent hours digging by hand. The labour had caused her fingernails to break, leaving blood caked into the skin there. "There. Silence," Lucas mused, his hand reaching out to gently touch her jaw. Noticing how she shivered, he remarked, "You're cold, Bucket."

"My name is Skye," she hissed through grit teeth, pulling away from him. "Don't call me Bucket. You're not my family."

He didn't seem hurt by her words. He gripped her chin in his hand once more, although this time with menace. His fingers burned her skin, seared it like fire. The warmth held both pain and pleasure. "Out here, I'm _your_ only family, and you're _my_ only family. We depend on one another."

"I don't depend on you."

"Where are you going to get food then, Bucket? Food that won't poison you? Do _you _know how to survive out here in the wilderness?"

She sneered at him. The red, blood-like juice from the fruit still coated the skin around her mouth. "Actually, I do."

He chuckled at her smug attitude. "So foolish," he teased her, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face. She cringed under his hand. "You may know how to fend for yourself in Terra Nova territory, but _this_ jungle is a new world entirely."

Her sneer fell momentarily. "What are you _talking_ about?"

Lucas smirked. "We're in the Badlands, now, little sister. And they certainly live up to their name."

A shiver ran down her spine. "The Badlands?"

"We still have about a week to go until we reach the Phoenix Camp. You see, they don't know that I'm alive, so we're going to surprise them."

She shook her head. "Please, Lucas. Don't do this."

"But why _not_?" He asked her, his eyes twinkling with malice. "They have something of mine. I want it back."

She felt tears pricking in her eyes once more. "I don't have anything to do with this. Take me home… let me go! I'll find my way back to the colony; I'll do anything, _please-"_

"_No," _he snapped, harshly grabbing her chin once more and forcing her to look at him. "Wherever I go, you go with me. You're mine and I am yours, do you understand?"

She wanted to fight him. She wanted to scream and kick and punch him until he fell, bleeding and unconscious, to the dirty jungle floor. He'd taken _everything_ from her. Yet, she had no choice but to nod mutely.

"Good," he said quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself. "I'll be right here, Bucket, so don't you go and try any funny business." He removed his hand from her jaw and settled down on the ground beside the hole, falling asleep almost straight away.

She found that she could do nothing but stare blankly at his face; this face that had her fearing all that was wrong with the world, and watch as it transformed into an entirely different one in his sleep – the face of a child untouched by anger, a child untouched by pain. The Lucas Taylor that could have once been.

* * *

><p>"Mum! Dad!"<p>

Jim and Elizabeth bolted upright at the sound of Maddy's panicked scream. They scrambled out of bed and into the hallway, where they found her standing by Josh's open door, her eyes wide.

"It's Josh. He's gone."

* * *

><p><em>Next week on 'Terra Nova'...<em>

_Can Skye escape? Will Jim be able to convince Commander Taylor to send a search team for his son? How will Josh survive out in the wild? Can Maddy and Mark truly get past their difference of opinions, and who is Malcolm's new love interest?  
><em>

_Stay tuned to find out._

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Well, there you go, finally another chapter. I'm so sorry for the delay. I've been unable to access a computer for so long that I honestly didn't have <em>any <em>time to write this for you guys! I was very happy with the response for my last chapter, and I'd love to have it again for this one :) Please review and share this story wherever you can, I would love more people to read it and feedback is always appreciated :) Promise it won't take me so long to update next time!


End file.
